1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a closure device for a nursing bra of simple yet highly effective construction which enables the nursing mother to quickly and inconspicuously draw up the cup of a nursing bra after nursing an infant. In particular, it enables the nursing mother to cradle the infant with one arm while drawing up the breast-covering cup from a position proximate her shoulder. The closure device hereof is economical to construct and easy to attach, having an added advantage of being small and easy to conceal under the clothing of the wearer. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a flexible strip or ribbon having a clip at one end and a stop at the other, with a clip for attaching to the bra strap located intermediate the two ends so that the top of the cup of the bra may be drawn upwardly by sliding the strip relative to the draw strap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Breast feeding has enjoyed a resurgency among nursing mothers because of the obvious nutritional benefits to the child as well as the emotional bonding between the mother and infant. As is commonly the practice, nursing mothers wear what is known as a nursing bra, which includes a flexible, foldable cup which may be lowered to enable the infant to have access to the nipple of the mother. After nursing is completed, the mother raises the cup and reattaches it to the support member of the nursing bra so that the cup will remain in breast covering position for normal wear. Typically, the mother cradles a child with one arm, holding the infant to her bosom and, at the same time, wearing an outer garment which permits the mother to give access to her breast. The nursing bra typically includes a snap or other closure at the top portion of the cup which is manually reattached to the strap or supporting device. The mother may either chose to permit the child to nurse in public view, with a portion of her clothing covering her breast, or, alternatively, withdraw to some more private setting.
In any event, the mother invariably encounters a problem when nursing is completed. She must often reach far down into her garment in order to grasp the top of the cup with one arm while cradling the child with the other. This may prove cumbersome or even impossible, necessitating putting the child down in order to reach the top of the cup for refastening it to the remainder of the bra. At best, this procedure is inconvenient, and at worst, may prove unsafe in that the mother may have to place the child down in a public area which may be somewhat unsanitary or be unable to prevent the child from tumbling off a bench or seat on which it is placed. Fumbling to locate the cup and reattach it to the bra is an annoyance which most nursing mothers would prefer to avoid, and, if nursing in public, it is difficult to reposition the cup near the fastener and remain discrete and unexposed.